Chair construction



Mamh 1957 W. M. FlSHER CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Z5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June6, 1955 II\\-ENTOR BY ATTGRNEYS arch L111: 1%5? FESHER 2,784,?

CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 6, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lfer M Wake! ATT()RNEYS amh 1957 w. M. FISHER {74979 CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Filed June 6,1955 3 Sheets-$heet 3 I N VEN TOR Wwlt'erMFisher' ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Walter M. Fisher, Sturgis, Mich.,assignor to Sturgis Posture Chair Company, Sturgis, Mich., a corporationApplication June6, 1955, Serial No. 513,302 6 Claims. (Cl. 155--157)This invention relates to swivel chairs having non-tilting back and seatmembers; and, more particularly, to a swivel chair having anon-tiltingback which is laterally adjustable with respect to the chairseat.

It is customary to provide stenographic chairs and similar swivel chairshaving non-tilting back and seat.

members, with back supporting members which are both vertically andlaterally adjustable with respect to the seat member. This permits theindividual using such a chair to adjust the position of the backsupporting member of the chair for maximum comfort. Lateral adjustmentof chair backs has been accomplished, heretofore, by providing hinged orpivotally mounted posts upon which the back supporting member ismounted. Means are. usually provided at the pivot point of the post tosecure it in the desired position. Backrest adjusting;means of this typewhich are common among commercially available swivel chairs arediflicult to adjust properly; and, in use, do not remain in adjustment.

The foregoing disadvantages are overcome bythis invention which,briefly, consists of providing a chair back for a swivel chair which iscomposed of a pair of spaced rods or tubular members each of which has avertically disposed portion and a laterally extending portion at thelowermost end thereof. A back supporting member is adjustably secured bya clamping member to the vertically disposed portions of each tubularmember. The laterally extending portions of the tubular members areslidably supported in sockets provided in the seat member of the chair.The back supporting member may be'laterally adjusted to the desiredposition by moving the laterally extending portions of the tubularmembers in the sockets or apertures provided in the. seat member. Thetubular members are connected by a locking means extending transverselytherebetween which may be expanded or contracted to bias the laterallyextending portions of the tubuar members and thus wedge them in thesockets or apertures in the seat portion. When thus secured, the back.supporting member and the tubular members are firmly secured to the seatand lateral movement therebetween is prevented.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to. provide anon-tilting back for a swivel chair which is laterally, slidablyadjustable. Another object of this invention is to provide a non-tiltingback for a swivel chair which is provided with laterally extendingtubular members slidably mounted in sockets or apertures pro vided in aseat member and which may be biased to wedge the portions of the tubularmembers in their respective sockets, thus preventing lateral movement ofthe'back with respect to the seat. Still another object ofthis inventionis to provide a non-tilting back for a swivel chair which comprises aspaced pair of tubular members having vertical portions upon which aback supporting-member is adjustably mounted, laterally extendingportions slidably mounted on a chair seat and locking .means extendingbetween the tubular members 2,784,769 Patented Mar. 12, 19 57 ice forwedging the laterally extending portions of the tubular members in theirrespective seat sockets to prevent lateral movement of the tubularmembers with. respect to the seat. A further object of this invention isto provide a non-tilting back for a swivel chair which is laterallyadjustable with respect to the chair seat in which the adjusting meansis readily accessible, simple to operate and inexpensive to manufacture.The foregoing and other objects of this invention will be apparent fromthe following description and drawings wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view from below of a non-tiltingback swivel chair with the pedestal re moved showing the preferredembodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the control plate shownsecured to the bottom of the seat in Figurel, with the laterallyextending portions of the tubular members of the chair back shown indotted lines;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the preferredembodiment of this invention showing the seat and portions of thenon-tilting back and chair pedestal;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in cross sectiontaken along line 4--4 of Figure 3;

Figure Sis an enlarged fragmentary view in cross section taken alongline 5--5 of Figure 3 showing the chair back locking means;

Figure 6 is a rear elevational View, partly in cross section taken alongline 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a top plan view in cross section taken along line 77 ofFigure 4, showing the laterally extending portions of the chair backtubular members freely slidably disposed in the sockets in the controlplate;

Figure 8is a top plan view in cross section taken along line 77 ofFigure 4, showing the laterally extending portions-of the chair backtubular members biased and wedged against lateral movement in thesockets in the control plate; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view in cross sec.- tion similar toFigure 5 but of a modified form of chair back locking means.

The preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in thedrawings showing a stenographic chair cornprising an upholstered seatmember 1. A control plate generally identified by the numeral 2 andshown in detail in Figure 2 is secured to the lowermost face of the seatmember 1.- The control plate 2 is provided with spaced bracket portions3, 3 which have apertures 4 for receiving screws 5 which secure thecontrol plate 2 to the seat member. The control plate 2 has a webportion 6 extending between the bracket portions 3, 3 which isdownwardly offset and this is spaced from the lowermost face of the seatmember when the control plate is secured thereto as shown in Figures 1and 3. The web portion 6 has spaced sockets formed therein by thedepending arcuate bands 7 adjacent the side edges of the web 6 and theupstanding arcuate bands 8 located adjacent the center of the webportion 6. Each socket, therefore, is composed of a pair of aligneddepending arcuate bands 7 and a single upstanding arcuate band 8. Thearcuate bands 7 and 8 are preferably integral portions of the web 6formed therein by stamping the several bands in the web portion 6. Areinforcing web 9 is secured to the upstanding arcuate bands 8 toprovide additional strength. A conventional threaded seat supporting rod10 is secured by welding to the lowermost face of the web portion 6 ofthe control plate 2. The supporting rod 10 is received in a conventionalswivel chair pedestal 10 a portion of which is shown in Figure 3.

The non-tilting chair back employed in the preferred embodiment of thisinvention consists of a spaced pair of tubularlmembers 11, 11' havingvertically disposed portions 12, 12; and, at the lowermost end of eachtubular member, a laterally extending portion 13. The tubular members11, 11 are, therefore, preferably L-shaped. An upholstered backsupporting member 14, is detachably secured to the spaced verticallydisposed portions 12, 12 of the tubular members 11, 11. The back member14 is provided with a clamping plate 15 which is rectangular in shapeand provided with arcuate portions 16 at the opposite ends thereofadapted to engage portions 12, 12 of the tubular members. The plate 15is apertured at the center thereof to receive the threaded rod 17 whichextends from the rear face of the back member 14. The clamping plate 15and the arcuate terminal ends 16, 16, thereof, rigidly secure the backmember 14 to the vertical portions 12, 12 of the spaced tubular members11, 11 when a locking nut 18 engaging the threaded rod 17 is tightened.Added rigidity for the non-tilting back is provided by the cross bar 19which is secured by welding to the tubular members 11, 11 adjacent theuppermost terminal ends of the vertical portions 12, 12 thereof.

The non-tilting back of the stenographic chair is mounted on the seatmember 1 by inserting each laterally extending portion 13 of eachtubular member 11 in one of the sockets of the control plate 2 formed bythe aligned depending arcuate bands 7, 7 and upstanding arcuate band 8.The laterally extending portions 13, 13 of the tubular members 11, 11are freely slidably supported in the respective sockets therefor in thecontrol plate 2; and, when the laterally extending portions 13, 13 aremoved inwardly and outwardly in their sockets, the back supportingmember 14 is moved toward and away from, respectively, the seatmember 1. This freely slidable disposition of the laterally extendingportion 13, 13 in the sockets therefore in the control plate 2 is shownin Figure 7. In order to prevent accidental dislodgment of the tubularmembers 11, 11 from the control plate 2, one of the laterally extendingportions 13 may be tapped to receive a lock screw 20 shown in Figures 1and 4. As will be readily apparent, the screw 20 will engage thedepending arcuate bands 7 which support the laterally extending portion13 provided with the locking screw and prevent the tubular members 11,11 from being withdrawn from the control plate sockets.

A locking member generally identified by the numeral 21 and shown indetail in Figure 5 is provided for securing the non-tilting back of thechair with the back supporting member 14 located at the desired pointrearwardly of the seat member 1. The locking member 21 comprises a studbolt 22 having threads 23 formed thereon and having the opposite endthereof secured as by welding at 24 to one of the tubular members 11.Any other suitable means may be employed for securing the unthreaded endof the stud bolt 22 to a tubular member 11. The stud bolt 22 extendstransversely between the spaced tubular members 11, 11, preferablyapproximately normal to these members, and the threaded end thereofextends through an aperture 25 provided in the tubular member 11adjacent thereto. The threaded end 23 of the stud bolt 22 does notengage the edge of the aperture 25 and is free to move therethrough. Atube 26 extends over the threaded end 23 of the stud bolt 22. One end ofthe tube 26 abuts the tubular member 11 apertured to receive thethreaded portion 23 of the bolt 22. A knurled locking nut 27, thethreads of which engage the threads 23 on the bolt 22 is secured to theother end of the tube 26 by welding or like means. The nut 27 and thetube 26 may be moved longitudinally on the stud bolt 22 by rotating nut27 and the tube secured thereto. When the nut 27 is rotated until theopposite end of the tube 26 engages the outer side of the adjacenttubular member 11, further movement of the nut 27 and the tube 26 forcesthe spaced tubular members 11, 11 apart as shown in Figure 8, andretains these members in a separated position. In Figure 7 it handsupport member 13' and it receives the threaded end of stud 23 while itsopposite end is freely guided and received for rotation by aperture 25'in the left hand support member 13. A knurled knob 27 having a boss 24'is received over the stud 23 and welded thereto in spaced relation tothe end 22 so as to form a shoulder about stud 23' at its end 22' so asto abut against the tubular left hand support member 13'.

The operation of the non-tilting back swivel chair is obvious from theforegoing description but briefly is as follows. The clamp 15 on theback supporting member 14 is released by retracting the nut 18. The backmember 14 is then moved upwardly or downwardly on the verticallydisposed portions 12, 12 of the tubular members 11, 11 until it islocated at a point thereof comfortable to the individual using thechair. The back member 14 is then secured at this point by rotating thescrew 18 until the clamp 15 and the arcuate ends thereof firmly securethe tubular members 11, 11 to theback member. The knurled nut 27 of thelocking member 21 is rotated to move the tube 26 away from the abuttingtubular member 11. The laterally extending portions 13, 13 of thetubular members 11, 11 are then freely slidable in the sockets providedin the control plate 2 as shown in Figure 7. The tubular members 11, 11may then be moved toward or away from the seat member 1 until the backsupporting member 14 is laterally disposed at a point most comfortableto the indi-' vidual using the chair. The knurled nut 27 may then berotated to move the sleeve 26 longitudinally of the stud bolt 22 untilthe end thereof abuts the adjacent tubular member 11. The rotation ofthe nut 27 is continued thus causing the tubular members 11, 11 to beforced apart. The separation of the tubular members 11, 11

in the manner described causes the laterally extending portions 13, 13thereof in the sockets provided in the control plate 2 to move apart. Asthis movement of the portions 13, 13 continues the outermost side wallsof the socket become engaged therewith and the portions 13, 13 arethereupon wedged in the sockets of the control plate 2 as shown inFigure 8. When this condition is produced, the laterally extendingportions 13, 13 of the tubular members 11, 11 are not free to move inthe sockets in the control plate 2 and the back member 14 is thus firmlysecured in the desired position.

The invention described hereinabove is susceptible of variousmodifications readily apparent to a person skilled in this art. Thus,the locking member 21 may be located at any point between the backsupporting member 14 and the point at which the tubular members 11, 11enter the sockets in the control plate 2. It is preferred to locate thelocking member 21 adjacent the points at which the vertical andlaterally extending portions of the tubular members 11, 11 are connectedto one another. By so locating the locking means 21, it is more readilyaccessible and provides the greatest mechanical advantage in wedging theportions 13, 13 in'the control plate sockets which affords the greatestease of operation. The invention has been disclosed employing a controlplate 2, but, obviously, any rigid member having spaced sockets in whichthe laterally extending portions 13, 13 may be received may be securedto the lowermost face of the seat member 1 or built into the body of theseat 1. The tubular members 11, 11 represent the most simple inexpensiveform of member for use in constructing the nontilting back for the chairbut other forms; such as, for

example, rods, bars and strap members may be used in lieu of tubularmembers. The locking means 21 illustrated in the preferred embodiment ofthe invention separate the tubular members 11, 11 to lock the portions13, 13 in the control plate 2. An identical locking action may beobtained by drawing the tubular members 11, 11 together by the obviousexpedient of rotatably securing the unthreaded end of the stud bolt 22to one tubular member 11 and welding the end of the tube 26 to theremaining tubular member 11 adjacent the end of the tube 26. In such anarrangement the stud bolt 22 may be rotated to move the tubular members11, 11 toward one another and thus lock the back in the desired lateralposition. The spreading or contracting of the tubular members 11, 11 tolock the back in the desired position, moreover, may be accomplished bya number of obvious mechanical equivalents including toggle con nectionsbetween these members and cam or wedge actuated interconnecting memberssecured to the tubular members 11, 11. The foregoing description is,therefore, illustrative of the principles of this invention the scope ofwhich is limited by the claims hereinafter.

I claim:

1. A chair comprising a seat member, supporting means therefor, saidseat member being provided with a spaced pair of walled recesses at oneedge thereof, a pair of L-shaped members including vertically disposedand laterally extending portions, a back supporting member detachablysecured to said vertical portions, each of said laterally extendingportions being slidably supported in one of said seat recesses, a pairof interconnected mem bers extending transversely between and engagingsaid laterally extending portions, said interconnecting members beingrelatively movable longitudinally thereof to produce relative movementbetween said laterally extending portions wedging said portions in saidrecesses, and means for preventing longitudinal movement between saidinterconnecting members.

2. A chair as set forth in claim 1 wherein said interconnecting memberscomprise a threaded rod engaging one of said laterally extendingportions, a tube surrounding said threaded rod and having one endthereof engaging the other of said laterally extending portions, and anut secured to the other end of said tube and engaging the threads ofsaid threaded rod.

3. A chair as set forth in claim 2 wherein the end of said threaded rodengaging one of said laterally extending portions is immovably securedthereto and one end of the tube surrounding said threaded rodfrictionally engages the other of said laterally extending portions.

4. A chair as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said laterallyextending portions has a recess therein and said interconnecting memberscomprise an internally threaded tube secured at one end to the other ofsaid laterally extending portions, a stud threaded at one: end andthread edly received in said threaded tube and having the other endreceived in said recess in said first lateral extending portion, saidstud having abutment means thereon adjacent said other end for abutmentagainst said first lateral extending portion adjacent said recesstherein and hand grasp means on said stud for rotating the same.

5. A chair comprising a seat member, supporting means therefor, a backsupporting member adjacent one edge of said seat member, said seatmember having spaced walled recesses extending inwardly from the edgethereof adjacent said back supporting member, laterally extendingmembers slidably mounted in said seat recesses, said back supportingmember being supported by said laterally extending members,interconnected members extending transversely between and engaging saidlaterally extending members, at least one of said interconnectingmembers being secured to one of said laterally extending members, saidinterconnecting members being relatively movable transversely of saidlaterally extending members to produce relative movement between saidtransversely extending members in said seat recesses thereby wedgingsaid laterally extending members in said seat recesses, and meansinterengaging said interconnecting means for preventing relativemovement therebetween.

6. A chair comprising a seat member, a supporting means therefor, a backsupporting member adjacent one edge of said seat member, said seatmember having a depending member provided with spaced openings adjacentsaid back supporting member, laterally extending members slidablymounted in said seat openings, said back supporting members beingsupported by said laterally extending members, a pair of looking membersextending transversely between and engaging said laterally extendingmembers, each of said locking members being engaged with only one ofsaid laterally extending members, said locking members being relativelymovable transversely of said laterally extending members to preventrelative movement between said laterally extending members and said seatdepending member, and means interengaging said pair of locking membersfor preventing movement thereof while said laterally extending mem bersand said seat depending member are immovably engaged. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS899,504 Bolens Sept. 29, 1908 1,357,826 Shaw Nov. 2, 1920 1,997,486Hallowell Apr. 9, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 332,759 Great Britain July 31,1930 523,720 Germany Apr. 27, 1931

